Second Chance
by theuntoldstories-ofadreamer
Summary: 'I did not know where I was, but I knew that I finally felt safe.' Saved from death but barely gripping onto life, Dominik has a second chance at living and ultimately, recovering from his fateful decision. But things would never feel the same after Suicide Room...
1. Chapter 1

**Last night, I decided to watch Suicide Room, or Sala Samobójców as said in Polish.**

**To be entirely honest, my curiosity about this movie was piqued by a certain kissing scene and the ensuing events that occurs between the main character and one of the minor characters. I read up on the plot, and found that it was a dark and sad movie, but I decided to divulge anyway.**

**I have never been so emotionally moved by a movie. I sobbed for an hour straight. The plot, the characters, everything...**

**It was all told so beautifully and in such a chilling manner.**

**So this morning, still reeling from the ending, I decided to write this. I do hope that you enjoy reading this.**

**(EDITED: 07/23/2013)**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own Suicide Room **(**Sala Samobójców) or any of its related content. All of it belongs to Jan Komasa.**

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Floating upon the superficial bliss of half-awareness...suspended in an area that I could not identify. All that I could see, hear and think was...white. A color that blended into warm tones that I could feel beneath my fingertips and in-between my toes. I did not know where I was, but I knew that I finally felt safe.

My last memory: curled up on a cold, strange floor, desperately crying out for my parents to help me, but hearing nothing except the sound of my heart pounding in my ears and ravaged yells being torn from my throat; trying to make myself vomit up the pills and alcohol...I tried so hard, but I just couldn't do it. I was too far gone.

I was about to die and there was nothing that I could do about it.

The heat that was around me... it had started to fade; the atmosphere around me slowly changing from a comfortable warmth to a harsh cold.

_Is this the end of the road?_ I asked myself. _Am I finally dead?_

The white around me slowly began to change as well, shifting into an almost blinding light. Someone once told me that seeing "the light" meant that you were on your way into heaven, yet... I didn't feel all that angelic. I felt heavier, as if something was weighing me down.

I don't think I was there just yet.

"Think...s-starting to...up..."

A voice. Several voices, actually. The faint sound of a heart monitor, beeping in a constant pattern.

_Where am I?_

"Dominik? Dominik, can you hear me?" Through blurred vision, I saw a nurse in front of me, shining a light into my eyes. "He seems responsive," I heard the nurse say. "And his heart rate is up as well."

I was awake. I was alive.

"Dominik, I want you to listen to me." A new voice came into my ears, one that I did not recognize. Gazing over to the left, I saw a man by my side who looked to be a doctor. "One week ago, you overdosed on a large amount of alcohol and pills and were brought here half-dead. You have been in a coma since that time, and believe me when I say, you are very fortunate to be alive. We did not have much hope that you would wake up." He placed a hand on my shoulder. "However, you still have a long way to go, Dominik."

I tried to speak, but found that I could not. Gathering up strength, I slowly reached my hand up and touched my mouth. A tube. _What is this? Why do I have a tube inside of me?_

"That's a respirator. That tube is connected to a machine that provides a steady amount of oxygen into your body. You cannot talk or yell or swallow or vomit...everything is blocked off. So don't worry, you'll be fine. Just breathe with the machine."

"Doctor, when do you think that we should remove the respirator? Since he's awake now."

"It's still too early to tell how he will do so let's just wait and see. In the meantime, go ahead and alert his parents that he's back with us. You can find them in the waiting area, I believe."

My parents in a waiting area? That was impossible. The parents I knew would never spend more than five minutes doing something if it didn't offer any personal gain for them. I found it hard to believe that they even knew I was sick. So caught up in their contrived lives... If I ever were to die, they would probably be late to my own funeral... if they even bothered to show up at all.

Yet... I felt relieved to be alive. For the first time in a long while, I did not resent every seemingly useless minute that went by. It would be a little superficial to say that I felt numb, but it was true. I felt nothing; happiness, anger, pain or pleasure. Void of any emotions, I was simply just...

There.

"Dominik," I looked up to see the nurse standing in the doorway. "Are you up for visitors? Your parents have come to see you."

She stepped aside and allowed my mother and father to pass by, who quickly came to my side. Looking them over, they appeared the same as I remembered them to be, but on second glance they looked older, as if worry and pain had aged them quicker than any amount of time could. Mum looked worn out and lacked the usual spark in her eyes, and Dad...he looked as if he had the weight of the whole world on his shoulders. The most telling difference, though, was when I witnessed my father do something that I had never seen him do before.

He cried. Silent tears, accompanied with the occasional jerk of his shoulders as a sob left his lips.

My mum reached down and took my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, before turning her eyes upward and whispering...

"Our precious Dominik...he is alive."

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**I am thinking of continuing this, but I would like to know what my readers think first.**

**And if you have not seen this movie, I encourage you and discourage you to watch it.**

**It's not for everyone. But for those who do decide to check it out, I suggest you grab some Kleenex beforehand.**

**Thank you for reading. Feedback is much appreciated.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	2. Chapter 2

I was starting to lose track of the days as they went by. It seemed like I spent all day sleeping and all night wide awake, staring into the vast emptiness of the night sky. If there were stars or a glimpse of hope from the light of the moon... I didn't see it. Nowadays, I couldn't see past the healing cuts on my arms or the respirator that the doctors refused to remove. They said that I was getting better, improving in my health; but dare they inquire about my mental status, they would encounter a different story.

Mentally, I was somewhat stable... on the verge of a collapse, yes, but wanting to keep up appearances.

Aside from the routine visits from my nurses and the occasional doctor, I was mostly alone. My parents spent all their time around me preceding the first few days that I was awake from my coma, but that act quickly faded away, just as I expected. After all, they had to go back to work, didn't they? I imagined it wasn't easy keeping up with a lifestyle full of valueless riches and a ruse of pretentiousness.

Attending corporate meetings, planning business transaction and eating and socializing among the highly esteemed individuals at the worthless plays that they always attended... all of that while their only son was in the hospital, who was unsure of his fate with every second that went by.

But I was used to it. Being ignored and brushed aside was one of the many factors that brought me to my downfall, and it sure as hell wasn't going to go away with one failed suicide attempt.

"Good afternoon, Dominik. The weather is rather nice out today, isn't it?"

One of the rare mornings that I was actually awake and it was being spent listening to imbecilic questions from my nurse. _Yes, as if I can feel how warm or cold it might be outside... _I thought, rolling my eyes. _It's not like I can answer you anyway, bitch._

The minutes soon turned into hours as the day seemed to drag on and on. Magazines that had been read multiple times from cover to cover sat on my bedside table, providing no source of relief to my never-ending boredom. Aside from a phone that would never ring and a TV that had nothing but news and sport stations on it, there was nothing else in the room that held out any type of entertainment.

But at around three o'clock, my boredom-induced trance was broken by an un-routine visit from one of my nurses. "Dominik," she said. "There's a visitor here for you. May I bring him in?"

Visitor? No one visited me. I knew it could not be my parents, since they would have just came right in without any forewarning. Nodding my head, I granted permission and waited for my mystery "guest" to be revealed to me. She stepped aside and allowed inside the person who wished to see me.

"Hello...Dominik."

Never in a million years had I expected to see him walk into this room...

"It's me, Aleksander. I don't know if you remember me or not."

How could I not remember him? He was the one that snowballed a torrential onslaught of humiliation and total isolation. An innocent kiss and an unfortunate reaction from my body, I was left defenseless against the direct and indirect ways of mental torture from him and my supposed "friends."

My body stiffened up as I watched him sit down at the foot of my bed, eyes flickering back and forth to mine. Thoughts taking a cold and bitter turn, my eyes said more than my mouth ever could as I stared him down, looking for his intent. _If this hospital weren't filled with nurses and security guards, I would have beaten the shit out of you before you came within five feet of my bed..._

"I heard about what happened. The website and that you tried to...you know..."

Kill myself? Don't be afraid to say it. I'm not ashamed and neither should you be.

"The school has been in a frenzy. The teachers even held an assembly talking about the impact that bullying has on others. I never meant to bully anyone, I really didn't..." His voice trailed off for a moment. "...In case you are wondering, yes, I got what I deserved. Someone found that video I made and told the teachers about it; I'm suspended from school for one week. I suppose the only reason it's not longer is because finals are almost here. You know, you may be able to still take them if you get out of the hospital soon, but I don't know how you are doing..."

He laughed at his words. "Who am I kidding...? I'm sure finals are the last thing on your mind. Now that I think about it, though, none of us never knew what was on your mind. You are a reserved boy. Maybe that's one of the things that frightened us, intimidated our egos..."

Frightened? Intimidated?

"I never meant to hurt you, Dominik. I really mean that."

_Then why did you do it? _I diverted my eyes to the window, staring out at nothing particular, but not wanting to face his gaze. Knowing that I could not communicate anything, I pulled my arms out from underneath the blanket and held them out for him to see, silently showing him the damage that had been done.

I heard him take in a sharp breath, as if he was surprised to see just how much I did to myself. "Shit..." He slowly reached over and grasped my arm, running a finger over one of my cuts. Cautiously, I allowed him to observe until his touch brushed over the last cut that I remembered making, still the rawest. Wincing, I jerked my arm back into my control and kicked at him in response.

He jumped up, a confused look etched across his face. Lips pursing up, annoyed words threatened to fall, but were eventually held back as he let out a heavy sigh and turned to face the doorway. "I'm sorry..." he murmured. "I'm a horrible person. I really did...do like you. Yet I treated you like shit when you did absolutely nothing bad to me. I don't even deserve to talk to you..."

Silence and a blank stare greeted his reply, any sort of reaction currently impossible. Inquiring his facial expression, I saw what looked to be remorse... but knowing that humans had the cruel ability to fake emotions and deceive others into thinking that they were truly compassionate or sympathetic when they weren't, I wasn't sure whether or not it was truly genuine. But regardless of the forethought, I wasn't buying it at all. Weeks of torment could not be erased by one measly apology that could just as easily have the potential to be half-assed and said out of obligation, not out of sincere regret.

"I'm just going to leave." He walked towards the doorway before stopping. "Dominik, I... I just..." But losing whatever initiative he previously had, he turned on his heel and went on his way out, closing the door behind him with a loud shut.

Thoughts now muddled together in a thick mess inside of my head, I was yet again left to the wondering of my mind as a stray finger moved across the surface of my "battle wounds."

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**Leave me a review please? Thoughts and feedback are much appreciated.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	3. Chapter 3

**Gosh, I want to say thank you for all the reviews, favorites, story alerts that I have received so far.**

**It really means a lot to know that people are reading my story and enjoying it.**

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"Congratulations Dominik, today is the day that your respirator will be taken out!"

Eyes slipping open, I was almost immediately annoyed by the presence of my loud and sickeningly chipper nurse on the _one _time that I was actually having a decent sleep since being in the hospital and yet, it was rudely interrupted by...whatever her name was. I just called her _Irytacja_. *****

_Just my luck, I suppose..._

Watching her move about, I noticed that she was fiddling with the various wires and tubes that came out of my body. "The CO2 levels in your lungs made the doctor decide that we should take the whole thing out and see how you do on your own. However, you won't be able to come off from intravenous feeding just yet... but you are making great progress, Dominik. "

So I would be breathing on my own again, huh? That sounded tantalizingly good but quite disappointing as well.. I had gotten used to having someone..well, something breathe for me. But I had to admit, though, I did miss being able to communicate.

"After I remove the tube, I'm going to give you some oxygen just to help you out a little." I nodded and watched as she pulled a pair of gloves over her hands. Looking over, I noticed another nurse come into the room, who I recognized to be the quiet and more serious one out of the two. "I want you to hold his head steady while I remove it," _Irytacja_ ordered her. She gave me a pat on my shoulder. "Don't worry hun, this won't hurt a bit."

Staring at the wall, I remained motionless while the serious nurse held my head in place and _Irytacja_ did something with a small bag beneath the breathing device. I wasn't sure what to expect when it came out; after all, I had been unconscious when it was inserted so there was no telling.

She and her solemn assistant (who I had just deemed as _Poważny _***** for good measure) worked on removing the tape that held the tube in place from off my face. Wincing, my hands balled up into a fist as the sticky substance peeled off from my skin.

_Irytacja _began to tug on the tube a little, causing it to scratch against my windpipe. "On the count of three, give me a big cough... one, two, three." I coughed and then retched as the tube was pulled up and out of my throat. "There we go," she coaxed, a grin spread across her face. "Now doesn't that feel better?"

I tried to say something but found that my voice was much too hoarse for any proper words to be formed, so I just stuck with a nod. A mask was strapped around my head and I felt myself begin to breathe a little better as the oxygen began to flow through me. It felt crisp and clean, compared to the tube.

"Now, we're going to leave that on for a little while," _Irytacja _said, giving me yet another pat on the shoulder. Gathering up all the discarded equipment, she motioned for _Poważny _to follow her out of the room. "I'll be back to check on you soon."

I closed my eyes after I heard the door shut._ I wonder when they will take the IV out. __At this rate, it won't be too long before they release me. I don't want to go back to the real world..._

What did the world have to offer me? The atmosphere on this planet... It was cold. Bitter. Sinister. Everyone lived for themselves and didn't care about anyone else. They preyed on the weak and basked in the glory of their dominance; restraining those that talked, walked or thought contrary from them. It did not matter who you were, where you were from or how nice you may be...

You were different and that scared them.

_Kill all the terrible people and leave all the good ones behind... On the surface, it seemed like it would work, but eventually someone will want to prove their superiority; show that they are somehow better than all the others. And then you're back to square one. It's a terrible cycle that can never be broken..._

Looking down at my arms, I was once again reminded of that dreaded chain reaction.

_You drag your poison across your skin, hoping to find some consolation in the scorching torture that reverberates through your body. But when that pain is dead and everything goes numb, you feel worse than before and are slapped in the face with the imperfections that you inflicted upon yourself. So you do it again, and before you know it: You are hooked; searching for pain to relieve the pain._

"Living, quietly bleeding.." I mouthed the words, though no sound left from within me. "Bleeding, quietly living.." Clasping my hand over my wrist, I closed my eyes and let sleep consume me yet again.

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| * _Irytacja _literally means "annoyance" | _Poważny_ literally means "serious" |

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**I thought it would be slightly amusing for Dominik to refer to his nurses as Annoyance and Serious in Polish. I****f I am not using the right words in the right context or something like that, feel free to tell me and I will definitely revise it.**

**Leave me a review? Feedback and thoughts are always appreciated and they definitely keep me motivated.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	4. Chapter 4

**Re-posting this chapter because the first one was not that all that great in my opinion, so I re-wrote it to the best of my ability.**

**To those who read the last version, it might interest you to re-read since it's significantly different from the last one.**

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"You have a visitor, Dominik."

Aleksander was back... A few days only having passed by, he had already returned.

There was an awkward silence between us as he sat at the foot of my bed, eyes shifted downwards. "I see that the breathing tube is out." He looked up at me with a slight smile on his face. "That's great." My only response was a nod, so he continued speaking. "Do you think they will release you soon?"

"How am I supposed to know?" I hissed out, starting to becoming annoyed with him.

His jaw tensed at my words. "You don't have to be short with me."

I was silent for a moment. "Why are you here?"

"I'm here because..." He looked down. "I feel like I have to make things right."

"Visiting me in the hospital to make yourself feel better is truly a selfish thing." Our eyes met again as he looked up at me. "I don't need your psuedo apologies, Aleksander."

"It's not like that," he interjected. "I'm not making things right for me; it's for you." He paused, letting out a sigh. "I know that you probably hate me – shit, that's an understatement, I _know _that you hate me. And I know-"

"Stop that!" I yelled. "You say you know all this stuff, but do you really understand?! You may know that your words and actions toward me were terrible, but do you understand the emotional _torture _that you put me through?" I jerked my arms out from underneath the covers and held them up for him to see. "Do you understand what drives a person to do this to themselves?! Go ahead. Tell me you fucking understand!"

He was silent for a few moments. "I'm sorry..." he murmured. Scrunching his eyes closed, I watched as a tear slid down his face, quickly followed by another one. "I'm so sorry Dominik..." Burying his face in his hands, choked sobs began to leave his lips, his body shuddering with every outburst.

A feeling that I had not felt in a long time – one of sympathy – came over me. Reaching out, I laid a hand onto his arm, trying to provide him with some sort of comfort. "Hey, don't cry..." I knew that he didn't deserve any compassion from me, but I couldn't help it...

I felt him stiffen up at my touch, then slowly relax. "Dominik.." Pulling his head up, he glanced at my arm and then up into my eyes. "Why?"

"Shh," I shushed him. Crawling out from underneath the covers, I grabbed the stand that held my IV line and moved it along with me as I came closer to Aleksander. "Don't cry, please."

He nodded, sniffling a little. "I won't." I watched as he briefly looked my body up and down. "You're thinner than what I remember you to be."

"I was thinner when I first came in here, believe it or not," I replied. "This damn hospital gown doesn't do me any justice, though. They let me take a shower on my own for the first time yesterday and when I looked into the bathroom mirror, I couldn't believe how bony I had become." Glancing up at the IV bag, I continued to speak. "But I suppose that's what surviving only on liquids will do to you. See that bag up there? That's what kept me from entirely wasting away when I was in a coma. But now that I am awake, I'm hoping they will take me off it soon."

"That sounds terrible."

"It's better than being dead..."

He nodded, "Yeah." Taking my arm into his hand, he began to slowly trace his fingers over my cuts again, a calm look on his face.

"Why do you keep doing that?" I asked, allowing him control, but remaining wary of his movements.

"I'm trying to understand," he replied, focus unwavering. "Let me understand." I watched as his finger neared the rawest cut he had touched last time that envoked such a sharp reaction from me. "Relax," he whispered, must having felt my arm tense up. "I'm not going to hurt you." His finger gently brushing over the cut, I winced a little and inhaled sharply, but remained still as he kept going.

_Why was he doing this? Why that one in particular?_

As if he had read my mind, I received my answer when he brought my arm up to his lips and kissed that exact cut, his eyes set on mine. "Don't ever do this to yourself again. Please, Dominik." Rendered speechless, my eyes said more than my lips ever could as he gently placed my arm back down. Raising his hand up, he clasped it onto the back of my neck and looked into my eyes.

_Was he..?_

He hesitated slightly before pulling away, a sad smile forming on his face. "You'll never understand," he murmured.

"Understand what?"

"How great that you truly are."

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**I am quite pleased with how this story is progressing.**

**Would it be slightly preposterous to say that I would love if Jan Komasa used my storyline in some sort of sequel/spin-off for Suicide Room?**

**Leave me a review? As you know, I love feedback and hearing what my readers think.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	5. Chapter 5

With every day that I woke, things started to make a little bit more sense. I felt myself grow stronger, move more competently and think with a meager amount of hope. Some things still didn't make sense, though – like why I still had these intense urges to carve my veins with a knife. The constantly changing feelings, though, that's what confused me the most; on some days, I felt cheerful and even made an effort to be friendly towards _Irytacja_. But on other days, I felt desperately hopeless and fought the urge to jump out the window and paint the sidewalk with the remnants of my skull.

I didn't speak to anyone about it, though. Not the doctors, not the nurses..not even the man from the psych ward that visited me every few days knew about what went on in my head. Unveiling my urges was not part of the agenda; I did not want to be involuntarily transferred back to that horrid place. I'd rather deal with it on my own than slip back into a torturous, self-medicated trance.

...But then there was a completely different matter: Aleksander.

"It looks like you gained a little more weight since the last time that I was here."

This time, he sat closer to me, positioned at my side. Conversating had always been a little daunting to me, as I was not the most outgoing person in the world, so I found myself a little intimidated by the distance – or rather, the lack of. "Wasn't that yesterday?" I teased, smiling a little.

He laughed. "Very funny." Glancing around my room, he frowned. "This place is so dreary! I would go crazy living here. No inspiration, no creativity, no thought.. just white and gray."

"No one ever said that psychosis was colorful. This may be the general hospital, but I think every patient is a little insane in their own special way." Glancing down, I held my arm out for him to see. "See my cuts? They're not cuts anymore; they're turning into scars. I may still be crazy, but it's progress."

Aleksander shook his head. "I don't think you are crazy."

I chuckled a little. "I'm glad to know someone doesn't think that."

"Dominik, can I ask you something?"

"Depends on what it is."

"It's not anything bad, don't worry."

"Alright, then go ahead."

"What did you think of what happened that night of the _studniówka_?"

His question caught me off-guard. "You mean when we...?"

He nodded. "Yes. When we shared that kiss."

"I think it was pretty obvious what my body thought after what happened in Judo," I replied. "But regardless, I felt confused. How did _you _feel?"

"I had similar feelings. I liked it, yet I disliked it at the same time. Something about kissing you was different; I don't know whether it was the alcohol or maybe the adrenaline rush of being dared to do something like that with another guy." He sighed a little. "What if I said that I wanted to do it again?"

I was silent for a few moments. _Do it again? How could you possibly want to kiss me again, after all that has happened? _Unsure of what to say, I settled on a soft 'Alright.'

Biting his lip a little, he looked down, seeming a little unsure about something. "Please," He whispered before leaning in, clasping a hand onto my shoulder, just like on that night. Eyes widening, I sat motionless as he touched his lips against mine. Everything seemed to go slow and I wasn't sure what to do, until it dawned on me – this was okay. It was just him and I in this room, no one else. So I kissed him back; softly but cautiously, a major difference from the first kiss that we had together. When he finally pulled away, he lingered by my face, eyes flickering open to look into mine.

_Is this what it felt like? To feel something other than sorrow and hate?_

For the first time in a long while, I felt...alive.

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_Studniówka _is a traditional ball that is held approximately one-hundred days before the _matura_, or leaving exam, for the final grade students (aged 18-20)

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**I was so tempted to watch Suicide Room again yesterday (YouTube had suggested a video of the full-length movie with English subtitles to me) but I am not in the best of mind frames to be emotionally shattered for a second time. Maybe in the future, but not right now...**

**I hope my readers are enjoying what is budding between Aleks and Dominik. I love writing dialogue between them.**

**Also, I want to say thank you for all of the multiple reviews, favorites and follows! It really makes my day to receive feedback.**

**On that note.. Leave me a review? As always, I love feedback and it keeps me going.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	6. Chapter 6

Another day of recovery gone by and one more day that I spent with Aleksander. I enjoyed the company, but I still felt slightly emotionless around him. Usually, I did not reveal much to him about what had happened in the past, but something...or someone, was vexing my mind.

"Sylwia."

Aleks looked over at me from the chair in the room. "What did you say?"

Carefully sitting to my knees, I crawled over to the edge of the bed so I could face him directly. "That was the name of the girl who brought me to Suicide Room: Sylwia. We were friends...close friends, maybe even my best friend. She intrigued me from the moment that we first met; mysterious eyes that had a troubled look to them. I felt we could relate...and we did. We had amazing highs and dangerous lows; she exposed me to things that I never thought were possible and influenced my character change. She even taught me how to cut; deep enough to make it burn but not enough to kill me. 'I hate reality,' is what she said. I didn't want to die, but she did." I paused as I felt an overwhelming sadness start to come over me. "She wanted pills to kill herself, so I managed to obtain some from a psychiatrist that my parents hired to talk to me. We had arranged to meet at a bar, but before we could finalize our plans, I was disconnected from her...literally. But I still went there anyway and waited for her. I started to drink and eventually decided to dump some of the pills down the toilet, but the hopelessness... It took over me, Aleks. I drowned myself in pills and alcohol."

Before I knew it, Aleks was by my side as the tears started to fall from my face. "Before I blacked out, I had imagined walking back out into the bar and seeing her. We kissed each other and finally, I was alright. We didn't need pills. We just needed each other." My voice started to waver as I continued to speak. "I've thought about her since I woke up and I have absolutely no way of contacting her.. What if she's dead? God, I hope she is ok!" My voice completely gave way as a choked sob left my lips, all the pent-up distress slowly releasing from inside of me.

I felt an arm wrap around me, grasping my body. Looking up, Aleks gazed at me, a pained look in his eyes. "Don't cry," he whispered. "She's ok, I know she is."

"How do you know? You don't know her like I do. She wasn't alright, Aleks!"

"Dominik..." He released his grip and turned me so that I was facing him. "When you leave here, we will find Sylwia. You will see her. I promise you that."

"I don't know if I'm ready for the real world yet. I don't want to wind up here again...or someplace worse." I laid my head on his shoulder. "There's so much pressure in this world. Final exams, universities, jobs, cars, relationships, marriage... Our parents call us children, yet once we leave school, we are suddenly expected to be adults. It makes absolutely no sense." I let out a small chuckle. "If all of this hadn't happened, I would love to be out there partying my life away. I know it would piss my parents off so much and that would give me an immense amount of satisfaction to break up their plan to make me their pawn."

"Their pawn?"

"Yeah." I lifted my head up as I stared out at nothing in particular. "They want me to pass the final exams, get into some prestigious university and spend the rest of my life at some shit job, climbing up the ranks to impress shit people." A sigh left my lips. "I don't want to do that. The sky is the limit with what humans can accomplish. Why should I waste my time working a 9-to-5 job that I hate when I can be out there doing something that I love?"

"What _do_ you love, Dominik?"

"I... I don't know yet. I'm still trying to figure that out."

He turned my head so that I was staring up at him. "I'll do everything in my power to keep you safe and away from here. You're going to find something that you love and you are going to _live._"

I couldn't stop myself from leaning up and touching my lips against his in a few, brief kisses.

"Please don't ever leave me, Aleks... please."

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**I want to say thank you for all the lovely reviews I've been getting. I read each and every single one of them.**

**You guys are so sweet to me. Thank you so, so much.**

**Leave me feedback? It would be greatly appreciated.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	7. Chapter 7

**Can I ask my readers for a little help? As I have mentioned before in a previous chapter, I would love if Jan Komasa could get his hands on this and read through it. I have this silly fantasy that he will adopt this plot and make an alternate sequel to Suicide Room.**

**So if anyone has any ideas on how I can contact him or something like that, I would really appreciate it. Thank you!**

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"Here's your dinner for tonight, Dominik."

As of yesterday, my diet had changed from liquid nutrients to peas and pudding. Not the most appetizing of meals, but at least I was eating somewhat solid food again. "When can I start eating some actual food?" I asked as I watched _Poważny _place the plate in front of me.

"This is hospital food, Dominik," she replied. "Not your mum's Sunday dinner. Now stop being such a whiny little brat and eat your food before I throw it away."

Rolling my eyes, I stuck my middle finger up at her in response. "Fuck this food and fuck you."

Eyes flashing with anger, she opened her mouth up to reply, harsh words threatening to fly off her tongue. I prepared myself for a fight, not afraid to defend what I thought, but our borderline-altercation was interrupted by the return of the one and only, Aleksander.

Noticing the bad air between us, his eyebrows furrowed. "What's going on?"

Shaking her head, she pointed an accusing finger over at me. "Deal with him." And with that, she stormed out of the room, shoving past Aleks on the way out.

Aleks' look of confusion soon turned into one of exasperation. "I leave for five minutes to use the restroom and you start something with your nurse."

"She was being a bitch," I retorted. "Besides, I don't want to eat peas and pudding. I'd rather go back to the liquid shit that they pumped into my body."

"Don't be so picky." Sitting down by my side, he picked up my plate and scooped up a forkful of peas. "Say 'ahh.'"

Giving him an odd look, I let out a sigh as I complied, opening my mouth up. Closing my lips around the fork, I began to chew. "How delightfully delicious," I remarked, a sarcastic tone to my voice.

Aleks chuckled. "Always something coming from you, Dominik." After slipping some pudding into my mouth, he set the fork and plate down on my bedside table. "You don't seem all that hungry."

I shook my head. "Not really. But if they are feeding me real food, I figure that it is progress."

"Indeed, it is." He reached down and took my hand into his. "You know what else is progress? The light in your eyes is returning, and it makes you look so beautiful."

I was surprised at the delicacy of his words. "Thank you." Looking into his eyes, I tugged on his hand a little. "Come closer."

"You come closer to me," he said as he sat to his knees and pulled me up towards him. "Sit in my lap," he urged. "I'll hold onto you."

Nodding a little, I nimbly wrapped my arms around his neck and clung to him as he adjusted himself to a kneeling position. I circled my legs around him and looked into his eyes, not sure what to say or do next. "Never been this close to someone before," I admitted.

One hand on the small of my back and the other on the back of my neck, he cradled me in his grasp. "Really? Are you a virgin, Dominik?"

Instead of answering him, I pecked a kiss onto his cheek before moving to his lips. They met in an almost fluid motion, like our kisses were clock-work. My hands moved to lightly scratch at the back of his neck as our pace increased and things became clumsy – the way our lips touched against each others and how his fingers dragged up and down my back.

Things were getting intense. Was it because of the feelings that I had for Aleksander? Was my body desperate and longing? Or maybe I just wasn't used to being touched with such care? Any questions that I had disappeared from my mind as I felt hands being placed on my hips, guiding them into Aleks' waiting ones.

Pulling away, a bit breathless, my grip on him tightened. "I don't have underwear on underneath this," I confessed, feeling almost embarrassed.

Aleks did not seem to be fazed by it; in fact, he even seemed a little amused. "That's...actually kind of hot," he responded. Before I had a chance to reply, though, he had his lips on my neck as he kissed my skin lightly, hands still roaming up and down my hips.

A light moan left my mouth from the feeling of his soft lips and the friction from our movements. Leaning up from my neck, he connected our lips again as a single hand brushed over my leg, fingertips teasing to venture underneath my hospital gown.

I felt...weightless. Breathless. My mind was racing but blank at the same time; all my thoughts were focused on how aroused that I felt, a feeling that was horribly unfamiliar to me. But no matter how hard I tried to fight it, my mind kept flashing back to what happened in Judo.

I would not do that again...not now. That high was to come when I wanted it to, not when my body wanted it to.

Pulling away, I wrapped my arms around Aleksander again, expressing my desire to stop. "Not here, not right now..." I murmured. "I don't want my first time to be in the hospital."

"I hadn't planned on having sex with you here," Aleks laughed a little and pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "But we'll know when the time is right... I promise."

I nodded, yet I still felt unsure. The physical arousal inside me could just as easily go away with time, but the mental arousal was different...more complicated. The more I thought about how he made me feel, the more I wanted to jump past all conclusions and connect with him in more ways than one.

_But we'll know when the time is right, _I repeated to myself.

And looking up into his eyes, I begun to realize that life and time was starting to become a pleasant thing... thanks to Aleks.

* * *

**A reviewer by the name of uniqueorange suggested the idea of Aleks feeding Dominik once he is back on solid foods again. I thought it was a cute idea, so I decided to write it into the chapter. Hope I executed it correctly, uniqueorange!**

**...But damn, you can just cut the sexual tension with a knife.**

**Leave me a review? I love, love, love feedback and it keeps me inspired.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	8. Chapter 8

**This weekend, I went on a road trip and decided to write a new chapter on the way back home. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Did the doctor give you the packet with your medication in it?"

I allowed Aleks to help me out of the bed for what I hoped to be the last time. "No, I'm supposed to follow up with a psychiatrist next week. They think I am at risk for overdosing again."

Aleks waited till I was steady on my feet before letting me go. "I honestly don't think that you have it in you to do that again," he replied. "But I don't know what is going on in your mind either."

"I'm better than before, but... I'm not cured." Focusing my eyes on the clothes that laid on my bed, I picked them up. "Thank you for buying me these."

"No problem at all. They might fit a little big though; I didn't know what your exact size was."

Nodding, I gave him a shy smile. "Um.. Are you going to turn around or not?"

"We're both guys."

"I told you I don't wear underwear underneath this thing."

He laughed. "Yeah, I noticed." Noticing the dirty look that I gave him, he turned around so he faced the other direction. "Alright, go ahead. I'm not looking."

Slowly untying the gown straps, I allowed the garment to fall to my feet. I shivered a little as the cold air hit my body. _This feels weird... I know he can't see me, but I still feel like he is watching._ Pulling on the underwear, I kept my eyes on the back of him as I fumbled with my jeans.

"Done yet?"

"Hold on," I said, zipping my pants up all the way. "Alright, you can turn around."

Facing me again, he nodded in what seemed to be approval. "Those pants look good on you."

"Thanks." Running my fingers over the bones of my ribcage, I sighed. "I look and feel weak."

"It's going to take a while for your body to become completely better," he replied. "You just need to get rest and take it easy for a while."

Groaning, I began to pull my shirt over my head. "I'm tired of resting. I've been stuck in this damn room for weeks.. I'm ready to do something and move on from all of this."

"Even from me?"

"No," I shook my head. "You're coming with me."

His lips curved up, slowly turning into a smile. "I'll be with you every step of the way."

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of a commotion coming from the hallway.

"You can't stop me from seeing him! Lead us to him now!" I heard a woman exclaim.

I felt my heart skip a beat as I recognized the voice. "Oh no, that's my..." Before I could finish my sentence, the door swung open and in came the last two people that I ever wanted to see – my parents. "Mum? Dad? What are you doing here?"

"Coming to get you, of course," my mum replied. "The doctor called us and said that you were being released today." Looking over to my dad, who was on the phone, she let out an impatient huff. "Get off that God-forsaken phone and say hello to your son!"

He waved her off, an annoyed look on his face, and continued chattering away to the person on the other end. "I'm at the hospital right now, picking up my child. But I can be back at the office in an hour. What is it that you need?"

Looking over at Aleksander, he looked just as confused as I was. Giving him a shrug, I focused back on my mum, who was needlessly messing with things.

"It's such a mess in here. Lazy nurses in this hospital, I see." When she finished 'inspecting' the state of my room, she turned her attention to Aleksander. "Who is this boy?"

"Aleksander."

"And what business does he have with you?"

Gaining a bit of courage, I reached over and took his hand into mine. "He's...he's my boyfriend."

Her eyes widened and she fell silent, the only sound being of my father droning on, apparently not having heard what I said. Her expression remained emotionless for a few moments before it turned into one of amusement, a laugh leaving her lips. "This is no time for jokes, Dominik."

Anger welling up inside of me, I felt myself tense up, but was held back by a squeeze from Aleksander's hand. "Why are you here?" I asked her through gritted teeth.

"To get you and take you home," she answered. "Now come!"

I stood my ground, grip tightening on Aleks. "I'm not leaving without Aleks."

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something, but quickly closed it. "Fine. He can come too, now please, hurry it up. There is a lot to do before the end of the day."

I did not want to go home... I didn't want to go anywhere with them. I wanted to go with Aleks, but at the same time... I needed some of my things. I needed to face the past one more time before I left it completely. So I suppose that I had to comply to get to where I wanted.

"Fine. Let's go."

* * *

**Progression, progression... I wonder how things will go from this point?**

**Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows, lovelies!**

**On that note, leave me a review? Feedback makes me quite happy.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	9. Chapter 9

It all seemed different now; the way that the shadows fell against the places that the sunlight didn't, the clouds that stretched across the sky in various shapes and forms, and the breeze that caressed my face and whispered secrets through my hair. "It's been a while since I've felt the warmth of the sun on my skin."

Aleks and I were seated at a bench outside the hospital, waiting for my parents to bring the car around to the front. Settled in his embrace, I held my head against his chest, listening to the gentle echo of his heartbeat.

He began to stroke my hair. "How does it feel?"

"It feels...nice." Placing my hand over his, I brushed my fingertips against his skin. "I'm not afraid of this world. I'm simply afraid of the people who are in it."

"Don't be afraid," he coaxed. "I'll be here to help you along. If anyone hurts you, I'll hurt them right back."

I nodded, though I still couldn't help feeling a bit of uncertainty. "Alright."

A moment of silence passed between us, the only sound being of the wind rustling through the trees. Closing my eyes, I allowed my thoughts to slip away and felt myself start to relax. "I'm sorry for what I said earlier about you being my boyfriend," I murmured against his shirt, breaking the silence.

"Why are you sorry?"

"Well it's never been formally asked and I didn't mean to just assume that you were."

He chuckled and slipped his fingers underneath my chin, tilting it up so that I looked into his eyes. "Dominik, may I have the honor of having you as my boyfriend?"

My lips turned up into the first genuine smile that I had in weeks. "Yes," I replied, softly. Gaining a bit of courage, I asked him the question that had been lingering on my mind. "Please be mine?"

"Of course." Leaning over, he pressed his lips to my forehead. "I'd want nothing more, my prince."

A sharp shiver ran through my spine at his words. "You haven't called me that since..." But before I could finish my sentence, I was cut off by the sound of an approaching car, no doubt being my parents.

"Shh, tell me later," he whispered. Standing to his feet, he helped me up along with him. He opened the car door as soon as it pulled up to the curb. "After you," he said, motioning for me to get in.

"Thank you." I wasn't used to people doing things for me...at least in this way. Climbing inside the car, I felt the air change almost immediately – the fresh, liberating atmosphere of the outside world was sucked away and replaced with the harsh, stale tones of my parents and their indifference. And no sooner did Aleksander get both feet inside the car and close the door did my father take off out of the parking lot.

* * *

"Nothing's changed."

My room was exactly as I remembered it to be – the parts that I happened to recall, anyway. Things were still in their place and the covers on my bed remained undisturbed; who knew that when I slipped out of bed that last night, I would not return... no, not for a while.

"The memories are still here, though," I said, eyes slipping over to my laptop on the table. Gliding my fingers over the screen, my eyelids fell as the flashbacks began to flood my mind.

_'I hate reality. I don't go out into the real world.'_

_'But you've got to go out.'_

_'What for?'_

_'To live?'_

_'I don't want to live.'_

Eyes re-opening again, a sharp gasp left my lips as the reminiscence became darker, tinged with pain that I did not want to remember. "Sylwia.." Sighing, I found that I could not shake the thought of her...and the more that I thought, the more that I began to believe that something had happened to her.

"Dominik," I looked up to see Aleks come up beside me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Are you alright?"

I gave him a slow nod. "Yes." Leading him over to my bed, I sat down, guiding him next to me. "Some things are just too hard to forget," I mumbled. Looking up into his eyes, I felt myself become a little vulnerable, a feeling that I was not used to. "Hold me. Please..."

His arms encircled around me and held me close to his body. "I'm here," he said, hand brushing up and down my forearm. "What is it that you wanted to tell me earlier?"

"You haven't called me 'my prince' since before the _s____tudniówka. _I had always thought that you said it to make fun of me." I pulled back from his grasp. "Aleks, are you patronizing me?"

"No, not at all. I use it as a term of endearment." Sweeping my bangs to one side of my face, he stared into my eyes. "When I say it, I say it out of love."

His gaze made me nervous, almost as if in a good way. "Love..." The word slipped out of my mouth in an almost thoughtful way, eyes diverting from him. "Love is a foreign thing to me."

"I... I can show you."

I was caught off-guard by his reply, but before I could even think of a response, he had his hand on my neck as he guided my face towards him. My mind went blank and I could not fathom a thing as my fingers clumsily searched for something to hold on, eventually settling on the hem of his shirt. Whenever I kissed Aleks, I always felt a slight shiver resonate through my body when our lips met – and this time proved to be no different. My hold on his shirt relaxed and tightened in an almost rhythmic manner as I let every slow kiss and thoughtful touch from him echo through me and settle deep within my heart.

My guard coming down, I kept my eyes closed even after Aleks pulled away and began to lightly kiss at the corners of my mouth. His lips were just beginning to trail my jawbone when the moment was pierced by a call from elsewhere within the house.

"Dominik! Get down here!"

___My mum... That just figures._

* * *

**So I was watching Suicide Room again the other day (for clarity and linear reasons) and I began to giggle at a certain scene where Dominik and Aleks are having a conversation in the showers and you basically get to see both of their bums. I found it slightly amusing.**

**I'm debating on whether I should write a sex scene between Dominik and Aleks in a future chapter... And if I do, I am musing on whether I should go all out or just use some creative wordplay. I would have to bump the rating up though. Anyone have thoughts on the matter? Let me know!**

**Leave me a review? I'd love to hear feedback. Thank you so much to the fans of this story, I love you all.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	10. Chapter 10

**This chapter is considered as a filler for DomxAleks lovers, but it slightly moves the plot along as well. ****On that note, keep in mind that this chapter will have a brief, sexually tense scene in it. But hey, if you watched Suicide Room, then you're probably old enough to handle it anyway.**

* * *

A stillness dominated the air around me, almost lulling away my state of contemplation, but not quite; the thoughts in my head could never be quieted, no, but would only be pacified by the little strength I had.

_Silence._

Glancing at the clock on my bedside table, I read the digital numbers that spread across the LED. _3:47AM... _I let out a soft sigh as the full reality of what a day/night that I had set in upon me. Aleks and I had spent the early night hours just hanging around and watching television, engaging in occasional conversation. It was only ten minutes ago that I had finally slipped into bed, but already, I had a muse in my head and a pair of arms circled around my waist.

I thought back to the conversation that I had with Aleks before we came upstairs.

_'Is it okay if... I sleep with you in bed tonight?'_

_'Yeah, of course. But to be honest... I've never slept with a guy, or girl for that matter, in bed.'_

_'It's nice, you'd like it. I'll hold you close to me, alright?'_

A small smile formed on my lips as I closed my eyes for a few seconds, taking in the feeling of having such a warm soul next to me. I hadn't felt this way before... Everything had always been so cold and isolated. There was never a time that I had allowed someone to touch, kiss and hold me. Sure, I had an occasional crush or two as I went through my teenage years, but it never really went anywhere. Aleksander was my first love interest and I had no way of denying that.

_Is he asleep? _We had not said much to each other after coming to bed, just shared a few kisses and settled into each others embrace, so I had no clue as to whether he was awake or not. He had his head turned away from me, and I figured it would be a little too obvious to sit up and see, so I remained motionless.

It was sort of melodic, the way that things were starting to unfold. Previous memories that I shared in this room were depraved, so to speak, filled with the corruption of my sanity and the red tint of self-inflicted pain.. but suddenly, someone had changed that; and it was Aleks, of all people. Funny to think that he was one of the many things that started this all off, yet he was now sort of fixing it in a way.

But could anything really fix me at this point? Words, touch and a bottle of pills could only get me so far... something would give out eventually, and I didn't want that to be me.

No, not again...

My thoughts were diverted when I felt Aleks' hands slip out from under my body. I opened my mouth to whisper something to him but was shut up when I noticed that the hand that he withdrew went right back under the covers to where his crotch was. _Is he really...? _I got my answer when the covers started to shift in a slow and almost rhythmic manner, indicating that he was indeed awake and doing something.

An embarrassed smile crept onto my face at the thought of Aleks touching himself. It wasn't that I didn't like it, but... he didn't seem like the type to do that to himself. _You're so gorgeous, Aleks, _I said inside of my head. _You could get any girl or boy in your bed at the snap of a finger. _As I watched the outline of his hand move up and down and listened to his soft breaths, I felt my insides begin to stir as I became aroused. Opening my mouth, I hesitated to speak, not wanting to scare him with sudden words. However, influenced by a wave of boldness, I settled with a soft whisper of his name. "Aleks.."

He froze, his movements coming to a complete halt. "Shit," he hissed out. "I thought you were asleep."

I shook my head a little, trying to stifle a laugh at his reaction. "No, I'm awake."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I actually find it sort of hot." Adjusting my position, I laid my body so that I was eye-level with him. I bit my lip a little as I asked, "Can...can I see it?"

He looked over at me, an expression of surprise on his face. "Really? You want to?"

"Y-Yeah..." I began to suspect that he wasn't too fond of the idea. "If that's too weird, just say so."

"No, not at all." Placing his spare hand on the blanket, he slowly slid it down so that it laid by his torso. "It may not be the best, but..." He trailed as he slid it down the rest of the way, revealing his boxers and the hand that was inside of them. Reaching around inside, he pulled his erection out from underneath its confinement.

My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the outline of his member through the darkness. "I've never seen a guy like this before," I admitted. Sure, I had unintentionally seen Aleks naked through our Judo classes, but not in _this _state. "Does it feel nice?"

"Yeah, it does." He looked over into my eyes, giving me a careful stare. "Do you like it?"

"Yes." I noticed that his hand remained still, even after I made it clear that I was okay with what he was doing. "You know, you can keep going if you want to. I'll look away if that would make you more comfortable."

"I know," he replied, seeming to hesitate a little. "Do you have any lube?"

My cheeks heated up at the bluntness of his words. "I do, actually." I reached over to the bedside table and pulled out one of the drawers. "A friend gave me a bottle of lube as a gift for my eighteenth birthday, but I've never used it for anything... Haven't really had a need to."

He chuckled. "Some sense of humor that your friend has," he replied. Opening his hand, he accepted the small bottle as I placed it into his palm.

Sitting up, I watched as Aleks poured some of the gel on his fingertips before he pulled himself up into a sitting position as well. He wrapped his arm around me, pulling me closer to him, as he enclosed his hand around the tip of his length and began to move. It was a fascinating sound, the way that it all sounded slick and smooth. "That sounds like it feels nice," I whispered.

"It does," he whispered back. Letting out a soft moan, he reached his hand up and placed it into my hair. "Are you okay with watching me like this?"

"If I wasn't, don't you think I would have turned away?" I laughed a little before looking up at him. "What made you so aroused anyway?"

"You," he replied. Turning his head, he connected our lips together in a brief kiss. "Everything that you do drives me crazy in such an amazing way. Every time you touch and kiss me... Something builds up inside me." Our gaze lingered before he smiled at me. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah... It does, actually." I leaned down, burying my face into his neck. "It makes perfect sense." Pressing my lips to his neck, I focused on kissing him in a steady, insistent manner, trying to figure out what might potentially feel good. Gently biting down on a patch of skin near his collarbone, I was pleased with his reaction when he took in a sharp breath.

"Keep doing that," he whispered.

And so I did. I kissed all across his neck and listened to the moans that flowed from between his lips. They were subtle.. soft enough for no one beyond my room to hear, yet loud enough to reverberate through my being. I went with what felt right, biting harder as the speed of his movements increased, until his legs were trembling and his fingers were carving crescent moons into my skin.

When I pulled away from his neck, I sensed vulnerability – something that I had never felt in Aleks. He always seemed so cool and collected, but now here he was: A sweaty, shaky mess of emotions. Being this wide open to emotional attack was amusing to me; who could ever let down their guard and allow themselves to succumb to pleasure with a person who could just as easily hurt them in their most fragile moment?

I was brought out of my thoughts when I felt the bed shift, signaling that Aleks was getting up. "Where are you going?" I asked.

"Getting a towel," he replied, his voice still a bit unsteady. "I don't want to fall asleep like... _this._" He laughed. "Nor do you want to feel it, I'd imagine."

I nodded and watched as he disappeared out of my room, and when I heard the bathroom door open down the hall, I relaxed and slid back under the covers so my head rested on the pillows. Almost in disbelief of what had just happened, I closed my eyes and gave way to a final thought.

_And just when I thought that this day couldn't have any more surprises..._

* * *

**I hope you guys wanted some action, because you just got some! Haha.**

**Thanks to all my reviewers for voicing their opinion on a future sex scene. I really appreciate it!**

**Just a heads up, things might become an eensy bit slow as far as updates, because I am dealing with doctors and all this other stuff at the moment. (I potentially might have some type of cancer, and even if I don't, I am still scheduled to have surgery sometime in the upcoming months) So I deeply apologize for that.. I'll try to write as much as I can though, no matter what. I wouldn't want to disappoint my amazing fans!**

**Leave me a review? As always, I'm a sucker for feedback.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	11. Chapter 11

**Important Note: Recently, a major edit of all current chapters took place (some changes included were correction of spelling errors, rearrangement of words and sentences, the addition of new sentences, the deletion of old sentences, etc.) so if you happen to browse through one of the chapters and notice that something is different, that's why!**

**Also, here's a quick question for my readers: When you read the dialogue, do you imagine the characters speaking in Polish or in English?**

* * *

A place of fleeting colors and emotions... Every movement felt a little foreign and each utterance sounded a bit distant as I traveled through an area that proved strange and unfamiliar. Yet, I wasn't scared, for I knew that I was safe from harm's way. I was deep within my mind, inside the comfortable cocoon that I wrapped myself in every night – alas, I was dreaming.

Dreams were where I faced my fears, brushed against my dreams, slipped through challenging situations and avoided that torturous little thing called reality. Sure, all my adventures and nightmares were a spawn of my overactive imagination, but sometimes... things felt a little too real to simply write it off as an unexplainable, daily phenomenon in my subconscious.

Especially right now, as I sat within a field of flowers, surrounded by a cloud-dusted sky... But the soft flick of the wind against my cheeks or the tingle of the petals brushing against my bare feet were not my focus; no, but my attention was being prodded by a voice, a subtle calling out of my name.

'Dominik...Dominik...'

Was my subconscious speaking to me? Or was I simply hearing things?

'Wake up, Dominik...'

_Wake up? Is that...?_

Things quickly began to fade away as I left from my dream world and returned to my spot between the covers. Eyes fluttering open, the first thing that came into view was Aleksander's face, which was dangerously close to mines. "Aleks?"

He smiled. "Good afternoon to you, sleepyhead."

"Afternoon?"

"Yeah, it's past twelve o'clock." He placed a hand on my cheek, stroking it as he continued to speak, voice coming out in a whisper. "Dominik, we need to get you out of here. Earlier this morning, before your parents left for work, I heard them talking about us – well, you in particular. To put things simply, it finally got through their heads that we are a couple and they aren't too happy about that, especially your mother." Hand moving down from my cheek to the curve of my hipbone, he gave it a gentle squeeze. "I don't know what they will say or do, but regardless, I think it'd be better if you went someplace else. It's not emotionally healthy for you to be here with them right now. I don't want you doing something else that you'll regret."

I looked down, sighing a little. "I don't have anywhere to go, Aleks."

"Come with me." When I looked back up, I saw care and genuine concern in his eyes as he mentally pleaded with me. "My parents' house has more than enough room for you and they won't mind anyway. You'll have your own bed and I can drive you around and I promise that you will have anything and everything that you need. I'll take _care_ of you, Dominik."

I was silent for a few moments as I considered his offer. It was tempting, yes, but I was still a little unsure. I had never been away from my parents house, let alone lived with someone else. But I was eighteen, going on nineteen at that... and things weren't and would never work here with my parents, especially considering my relationship with Aleksander.

"I... I can try."

The smile that formed on Aleks' face was one that I had never seen before – one that seemed to be of relief and happiness. "Great," he said before giving me a kiss. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me up. "Pack as much or as little as you'd like and let's get out of here, Dominik."

And that's what I did; took the shoulder bag that I used for school and put in the things that I deemed important, that being a few pairs of underwear and my favorite items of clothing. I wanted to travel light and leave behind most of my material possessions, because all of this – my room, laptop and any electronics I possessed – was part of the past. When it came down to it, I was escaping from the first of many hells and I did not need any reminders to drag me back into it.

But was I starting anew? I didn't know yet. I couldn't predict how things would go with Aleks, whether for the good or the bad. But regardless of the direction that the stream of life decided to flow, I would drift along with it and hope for the brighter horizons ahead.

* * *

"Are you sure your driver won't mind waiting on us?"

"Nah, I told him that he could hang around this area until we are done."

Thirty minutes later and I found myself sitting in a booth with Aleks, a glass of orange juice and a bad memory. Staring across the table, I watched as he stirred sugar into his cup of coffee. "I hate this place," I said. "My parents dragged me here after I was released from the psych ward."

"Psych ward?"

"It's a long story." Twirling my straw around my juice, I watched as the liquid rippled with every movement. "But it was just another useless attempt at them pretending to be good parents."

"Do you want to go someplace else? Because I can-"

I shook my head. "It's not that big of a deal."

He nodded. "Alright. I'm just checking."

The moments passing by, Aleks left to go to the restroom, so my attention began to wander to the other patrons in the restaurant. Not much was intriguing my interest; just the same regular, boring people at every table and booth. For the most part, all was ordinary... that is, until my ears picked up on the sound of angry words coming from the booth behind me.

"Are you stupid?" A female voice, one that I recognized as the waitress that took our order, pierced the air. "If you come to a restaurant, I expect you to order something and not sit there like a dumbass. You're wasting MY time and money!"

"I told you before that I need a Braille menu!"

"Sorry to break it to you, sweetie, but we don't have the money or, frankly, the concern to supply a separate fucking menu for "special" people like you. If you want to have your own personal accommodations, then stay at home and make your own shit."

Anger welling up inside of me, I couldn't help but turn around and interrupt the conversation. "Hey, leave her alone!"

She turned around and shot me a glare. "Mind your damn business."

"No!" Before I could stop myself, I was out of the booth and at nose level with the waitress. "Just because you're a bitch doesn't mean you have to treat her like one. Now leave her alone..." My voice trailed as my teeth bore down onto each other. "...or you'll regret it."

Fear flashed in her eyes for a brief moment. "Prick," she hissed out before turning on her heel and storming off, clearly defeated.

I rolled my eyes before turning my attention to the girl that sat at the booth. "Are you ok?"

Head held down in fear, I noticed that she was trembling. "Yes... I'm fine. Thank you for doing that; I should have stood up for myself, but I didn't know what to say and..."

I placed my hand on her shoulder, to which she flinched. "Don't worry about it. Someone needed to put that girl in her place."

A smile flickered on her face for a moment before disappearing again. She looked up and I saw her eyes for the first time, shimmering with light but obscure in its alignment...

She was blind.

"You can sit if you'd like," she offered. "I don't mind."

Cautiously, I took up her offer and slid into the place in front of her. Things were silent for a few moments before I decided to break the hush between us. "What is your name?"

"_Nadzieja_," she answered. "What is yours?"

"Dominik."

She chuckled. "Dominik, huh? Your name means 'belonging to the lord.' Interesting, right?"

"Ironic, is more like it."

" '_Hope_' is what they say my name is made up of. I suppose it fits because I am always hoping that they will fix my vision one day."

I paused for a moment. "Can you see me?"

"I can see colors and ideas. But I can't see details and stories." Laying her palm out on the table, she beckoned me to take it. When I did, she clasped her fingers around mine in an almost thoughtful manner. "Even though I can't see that well and I know nothing about you... I can tell that you are a good person. I sense hesitation in the way that you hold my hand; you're unsure about something, something that not even I can figure out."

I was frightened by her observation, almost intimidated by her comprehension. "You're intelligent."

"We're all intelligent," she replied. "It's just how we choose to use it is what makes the difference." Releasing her grip on my hand, she joined her own two back together. "A few months ago is when it happened. There was an accident and when I woke up, things were never the same. It's gotten worse and the doctors say I'll probably be completely blind by the end of the year." Letting out a noise of distress, she bowed her head, dragging her fingers through her hair. "What am I to do? I'm barely into university, yet things aren't looking too bright for me. Life is terrible and honestly, not worth fighting for."

"I used to think that way... I still do, sometimes. But after some bad decisions on my part, I learned that there is always something worth fighting for, no matter how big or small it may be."

"Hmm. What do you fight for, Dominik?"

"Myself," I sighed. "As hard as that is to do."

"Anything else?"

"I try my best to stay strong for my boyfriend, Aleks. But there's someone else as well... a girl that has the world on her shoulders, yet still manages to hold everything in its place."

"Sounds like a girl that I used to know. Before my accident, we were good companions... best friends, perhaps. But things were difficult, because she was a shut-in. She never told me why it was that she didn't go outside, no matter how much I asked her. Some people would say that she's a hermit, but I prefer to say that she's simply detached from the world around her. So detached that she couldn't even break free from her house for one, single time to visit me in the hospital after my accident. Three years, she's been in there, and hasn't left for anything...not even for her friend."

"Sylwia..."

"Excuse me?"

"Sylwia," I repeated again. "That's her, I know it is."

"So you know her..."

"From unique circumstances, yes." Reaching over, I took Nadzieja's hands into mine and gave them a tight, almost pleading squeeze. "I need to see her. Please tell me where she is." I slowly let go of her hands. "Please, Nadzieja."

She was silent for a moment. "Are you sure about this?"

"I'm sure. I need this to happen; there are some things that need closure in my life."

She let out a sigh. "Listen carefully, for I won't repeat myself. But I might warn you, Dominik: Her words cut deeper than any of her knives ever will..." Her voice dipped down to a low, almost sinister tone. "And Sylwia will cut you right to the core."

* * *

**I want to say a big thank you for all the PMs and reviews I received, expressing concern and best wishes for my health. I really appreciate it. (And it means a lot, seeing that none of the people I know in real life give a shit about my health. But you guys do...so thank you so, so much for that.)**

**And as always, thank you for all the feedback! I love you all.**

**Leave me a review? I enjoy feedback and hearing what you guys think.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	12. Chapter 12

**This is the longest chapter of Second Chance, to date.**

**Also, thank you to those who answered my Polish vs. English question in the last chapter.**

* * *

"Are you sure about this?"

A shaky sigh left my lips as I glanced up at the apartment buildings before me. It was hard to believe that Sylwia lived here – if you'd even think to call it living, since she hadn't come out of her room in three years. "Yes," I replied. "I know she's here. I have to see her."

"Should I come with you, or wait outside with the driver?"

Knowing how Sylwia was, it might be too overwhelming for Aleks to deal with any potential reactions. "It's best I go alone," I answered. "If I need you, I'll come get you."

He took my hand and gave it a squeeze. "Be strong, Dominik. I believe in you, ok?"

I nodded, squeezing him back. Our fingers slipped away from each other as I left from him, beginning to make my way over to the entrance of the building that I trusted from Nadzieja's memory to be Sylwia's. Looking at the piece of paper in my hand, I recounted the apartment number as I made my way up the stairs. I felt my heart begin to race more and more with every step that I took. I wasn't sure what I was walking into or what would happen between us.

When I finally approached the apartment that I hoped to be hers, I took a brief look around. Everything looked relatively normal on the outside, so I decided that it was okay to continue. Fingers lingering by the smooth surface of the door, I let out a heavy sigh before finally rapping on it twice, the knock reverberating down the hallway.

Things were silent, almost too silent, and I began to think that no one was there. Shaking my head, I turned on my heel and began to walk back towards the stairwell. "Should have known," I muttered. But just as my foot touched the step, I heard the door unlock before opening.

"Hello?"

Turning around, I walked back over to see a tired-looking, middle-aged woman standing in the doorway."Hi," I greeted her. "My name is Dominik. I'm looking for Sylwia, she's a friend of mine. Are you her mum?"

As soon as I said Sylwia's name, her expression shifted from exhaustion to almost one of hopelessness. "Yes," she answered. "Good luck trying to talk to her. She's been...worse than usual, lately." Stepping aside, she motioned for me to come inside.

Nodding, I uttered a 'Thank you' as I stepped inside the place, remaining cautious. From what I immediately saw, things looked to be in order – tidy and kempt up, almost in an incomprehensible way. It reminded me as if they kept things physically clean to deal with the emotional turmoil and chaos in their lives. Sort of how my parents house was...except with less pretentiousness.

"Her room is over there." I turned my head to see her mother pointing at the door down the hall, on the right. Giving her a nod, I watched as she sat down onto a couch in the living room, an almost blank stare on her face. Was she not really concerned that a strange boy was in her house, asking for her daughter? Or was she relieved, maybe that someone actually _was _visiting her?

Regardless of the answer, I threw the thought away as I made my way down the hallway. Coming to the door that was hers, I glanced at the doorknob. I could try opening it, but knowing Sylwia, it was probably locked. Knowing that it was now or never, I knocked on her door.

"Go away!" A shout came from within in the room, sounding faraway but close at the same time.

I couldn't fight back the pained noise that left my lips, a culminating emotion of disbelief and frustration with her stubborness. "Sylwia, Sylwia, it's me, Dominik. Come out, please."

I heard a laugh, almost like a cackle, as if she was mocking me, or herself. "Dominik? Ha, don't lie to me. Dominik died of an overdose weeks ago. I saw the video on _Sala Samobójców_'s wall, the little bastard killed himself without even telling me. Who does he think he is? I was supposed to kill myself, you know?! Not Dominik." Her words began to slur together as her laughter quickly began to intermix with what sounded to be sobs. "What a selfish fuck, taking all those pills for himself! He came all that way to see me, he should have at least saved some for me, you know? We could have died together, but he fucking _left _me!" Her voice grew louder as she came near to the door. "Don't you lie to me about him, I saw his lifeless corpse in that video. He's gone."

With tears streaming down my face, the full force of what I had done began to hit me. "Sylwia..."

"Don't you fucking lie to me!" Her shriek tore through the air, before the lock was finally thrown back and she yanked the door open. A heap of pink collapsed into my arms, clinging onto me and sobbing out words that I barely understood. "Don't lie to me...please don't lie, Dominik."

"I'm not lying," I managed to get out, placing a hand on her head as I held her close to my body. "I'm here. I promise."

I held onto her as soft cries and whimpers left from her body, just taking in the fact that I finally had Sylwia in my arms. When she began to quiet down some, I loosened my grip on her and kissed the top of her forehead. "Are you alright?"

She let out a chuckle, one that sounded to be more of sadness than of amusement. "That's preposterous of you to ask, Dominik." Releasing one of her arms from around me, she held it out for me to see. "Knives – they bite, remember? Sneaky little things, aren't they."

I felt distressed as I looked at the cuts that were slashed up and down her arms, an alarming increase in number from what I had seen weeks ago. "Sylwia..." I whispered. "You're bleeding."

She laughed again. "I'm always bleeding, Dominik. I bleed so much that I barely notice the sting of my knives anymore."

Becoming frustrated with her careless attitude, I grabbed her hand and guided her towards the front door. "Let's go somewhere else, Sylwia. We need to talk."

* * *

Moments later, I found myself sitting on the grass of the lawn behind her apartment, facing Sylwia as she refused to face to me. "Why won't you look me in the eyes?"

She was silent for a few moments. "The last time that I saw your eyes was on that video. They were flashing with fear; draining of any life that you had left in your body." She paused before finally looking up, locking a glance. "I see that everytime I look into your eyes. It scares me."

"It was an accident..."

"You shouldn't have tried to commit suicide."

"Oh, eat your words," I snapped.

She didn't even flinch. "You didn't want to die, Dominik. You never did, even after all we talked about together. I was the one who wanted to end it all. Yet, you were selfish, and took it all for yourself... I didn't show up that night because for once, yes, for once, I listened to your pleas and I thought 'I can wait this out a little while longer, only for him.' But what do you do? You go and be stupid and wind up as just another victim in this pathetic, little world we live in."

"I was in a week-long coma, Sylwia. I was on a breathing tube and I had to be fed through this shitty IV. Call me selfish, but I _fought_. I could have succumbed to the pills and alcohol, but something pulled me back. It wasn't my time yet, and that's why I am here."

"How did you...how did you find me, anyway?"

"I met a mutual friend," I replied. "_Nadzieja_ was her name."

Her lips turned up into what looked to be a smirk. "Ah, Nadzieja. Little spit fire, she is."

"She's almost blind, Sylwia." I watched as her eyes closed in what looked to be looming frustration, almost ready to burst. "You never saw her after-"

"This is a bitter, bitter world," she hissed out between gritted teeth. "People are hit, stabbed, choked, cut and destroyed in so many ways. But who stands up for them, huh? No one. Not until the light is _squeezed_ out of their eyes will someone take notice, and before then, it's too late. No one cares those that suffer in silence..." I watched her eyes widen into a frightening stare, though they focused on nothing in particular. "Nadzieja never understood me, nor did she want to." A cold chill raced down my spine when she looked at me. "Answer me that, my precious Dominik. Tell me why I should bother with silly fairweather friends when I have my knives and _Sala Samobójców_?"

I couldn't find an answer to her question, so I settled on the first thing that came to my mind. "You understood me. Perfectly, actually. It was a little scary how much we related on things."

"I'm the same person that I am behind the webcam. I haven't changed." She looked around at our surroundings, fingers brushing over the grass beneath us. "After I saw that video, I lost it – everything came crumbling down around me. So I ripped the cords from my computer and ran outside, collasping on the grass. That was the first time that I cried in a long while, you know. But can you guess what I did next? I went back inside that damn room and my blades and I had a _great _fucking time. I hadn't left there since... not until you showed up."

"What...what happens now, Sylwia?"

"Nothing," she replied. "I do the same thing that I do everyday. Binge on whatever food I can find, lock myself into _Sala Samobójców _and hope that I won't wake up the next day. What else is there to happen?"

I reached over and took her hand, almost pleading with her. "You can leave from here."

"What good is that to do?" she asked. She looked away, though her grip on my hand remained. "I'm twenty, aren't I? I've lived long enough in this hell. I'm ready to go away."

I swallowed back tears, the desperation inside of me starting to reach its boiling point. "I don't want you to go away. You don't know how much I missed you, Sylwia. When I left so suddenly, because of my parents, it killed me that I couldn't tell you what was going on. I didn't try to end my life to hurt you. It was a stupid decision that I made out of pain. I'm so sorry..."

A silence fell between us before she decided to speak again. "How did you get here?"

"Aleksander," I answered. "I'm with him now."

"Fucking hell."

"It's not like that anymore, Sylwia! We spent a lot of time together in the hospital and I know what happened. I know that he never meant any of what he said or did to me. He got what he deserved in the end, anyway. He's changed, Sylwia, I swear."

"Don't swear on something as wishy-washy and unpredictable as a boy."

I looked down, heaving a sigh. "Give him a chance...please. It took me a while to, but I did." When I didn't get a response from her, I thought back to what Aleks did to me on the first day that he visited me in the hospital. Taking her arm, I held it gently as I lightly traced my fingers over each cut and scar that stretched across her skin. "You're so beautiful. I love you, Sylwia, no matter what happens." With that, I lowered my head down and brushed my lips against her cuts, metaphorically healing them with ghost of my breath.

Raising myself back up, I pressed a single kiss to her lips, one that I thought she deserved, no matter who I belonged to.

A look of surprise took over her features, and as she looked away from my line of sight, I felt her body begin to tremble. For the first time in my life, Sylwia was...vulnerable.

"S-Silly boy," she stuttered out, voice wavering with emotion. "You shouldn't love so easily..."

* * *

**I want to dedicate this chapter to my boyfriend, Ryan. We are in a long distance relationship, and on Saturday afternoon, I found out that he overdosed on medication. From the little information I received from his father, he is still alive, but will be going into rehab for an unknown period of time. I don't know when the next time it is I will talk to him or if he is okay. I've been desperately trying to get ahold of someone in his family, but to no avail.**

**This was really tough for me to write because of the subject matter, but I needed some way to get rid of some of this pent-up emotion (I'm not a huge fan of crying to relieve emotion) The next chapter might be slightly delayed because I'm quite depressed at the moment.**

**But again, I just want to thank everyone so much for their support in my writing. I love you all, I really do, and I truly hope that I never disappoint with my chapters. I still have a lot that I want to do with this plot, so I am going to stick around with this for a while.**

**Leave me a review? It'd really brighten up my day to hear what you all thought. Thank you so much.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	13. Chapter 13

"Have you ever been surprised by life, Dominik?"

If someone had asked me to name one thing that I imagined myself doing with Aleksander, sitting in a bathtub with him would not be on my list. But yet, as I rested my back against his torso and his head grazed against my neck, I knew that this was indeed, real.

"Yes. Life surprised me with you," I replied. "Has it surprised you, Aleks?"

"In a lot of ways." He nuzzled his nose into the crook of my neck.

"I never imagined myself sitting in the bathtub with my boyfriend." I chuckled at our situation. It was only hours earlier that I had been afraid of baring myself in front of him, now here I was, uncovered and slightly afraid. "Have you ever done this sort of thing before?"

"What? Take a bath?" He teased.

A laugh left my lips. "No, smartass." Turning my head around, our eyes met in a soft glance. "Been with another guy?"

"If you're asking whether I am a virgin, the answer is no." He moved his hand from underneath the water to rest on my chest. "Remember when Karolina and I dated when I was 17? I lost my virginity to her. But don't worry, I was clean and I still am."

"But have you had sex with a guy?"

It was his turn to chuckle, eyes casting downwards. "Alcohol can make a guy do some crazy stuff."

I took a moment to ponder over his words. Aleks, the guy who had relentlessly teased me for what happened in the past... he had sex with someone while intoxicated, and with a male at that?

"Why were you so afraid then?" I asked. "It obviously wasn't your first encounter with a boy."

He sighed, his eyes flickering towards me for a brief second, before rushing away again. "When I had sex with him, I felt nothing but lust. But when I kissed you, I felt something I had never felt before...like a new perspective of things had been guided into my life. That's when I discovered that I had feelings for you, and at the time... that really scared me."

"So you acted out of fear." Reaching my hand up, I turned his head so that he faced me. "Tells me, Aleks. Are you still afraid?"

Teeth biting onto his lower lip, he refused to meet my gaze. "A little, but..." He locked eyes with me again. "I know that I like you a lot. And I don't want anything to change that."

"I like you too, Aleks." I let my body lean back into him, my head resting on his. I grinned as I began to think of what he said earlier. "Mm, so who was this guy that you slept with?"

"Remember Mieszko in math class?"

"The one with the glasses?"

"Yes, that's him."

I laughed. "He's cute. Tell me what happened." Closing my eyes, I let out a content sigh as I settled into the warmth around me, listening to Aleks as he began to talk.

* * *

From the bathtub to the living room, I found myself laid against Aleks as we watched a Polish drama on TV, a blanket spread across our bodies and a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table. The drone of the female lead confessing her undying love for the male lead drifted through the room as I curled up into Aleks' heat, watching as he absent-mindedly reached back and forth to the popcorn. "She's so stupid," I commented.

"Mm?"

"Look how she just throws herself at him. Almost as if she is trying to force him to like her. It's disgusting." Caught by the temptation of junk food, I moved my hand and scooped a few kernels inbetween my fingers. "She's so clingy too. I'd be pissed off if I had to be her friend." Listening to the song that came on during an ensuing montage, I scowled. "God, I _detest_ techno music."

Aleksander laughed, no doubtedly at me. "You're so serious about this, aren't you?" He nuzzled his face into my neck. "Calm down baby, it's just a movie."

My scowl turned into one of...extreme annoyance. "Don't call me 'baby.'"

"I'm sorry..." he trailed off, searching for the right word, "...my prince."

I didn't object to the name, so he leaned down to kiss me. "What did you think of what we talked about earlier in the bathtub?"

"About you having sex?"

"Yeah. Well more so, me having sex with a guy."

"It's interesting," I replied. "I'm not sure what more to say. I've never done it before."

"But, have you ever wondered what it's like?"

"A few times, yes. I've done so more since I have been with you than I ever would have before." I gave him a quizzical look, searching out his motive. "Why are you asking me this, Aleks?"

"I'm always willing to try stuff with you, Dominik." Moving his hand across my cheek, he peered into my eyes, his own flashing with an unknown intent. "Anything you're curious about."

_Curious..._

My mind flashed back to what happened in Judo class, a culmination of sexual tension and dry humping, before mingling into the moment that we shared in my hospital bed, when I was on top of him, grinding my breath away. _I... I liked that feeling. I wanted it to last forever._

"Grinding," I murmured, my voice barely audible.

His lips curved up into a smile at my utternace, hand trailing to rest on my hip. "Like what we did when-"

"-Yeah," my voice blended into his as I finished his thought. "Is that okay?"

"Of course." Pulling himself into a sitting position, he wrapped his fingers around my neck, gently tugging me into a kiss. Our lips met in their usual dance as I reveled in the feelings, my own hands making their way up and down his body, memorizing every curve and ridge of his clothes.

Our pace quickened, then decreased as his hands took to exploring my body, starting at the strands of my hair and making their way down my sides, squeezing my hipbones. A soft moan left through parted lips as his fingers sauntered their way under my shirt and across my ribcage, touching every over-electrified nerve beneath my skin. With every kiss and brush of his skin against mines, it wasn't long before I found myself to be dreadfully aroused, my member feeling harder than any bone in my body.

Taking some dominance, I grabbed Aleks' hands and placed them on my shoulders as I climbed into his lap, laying him back against the sofa cushions in the process. But I lost the upper hand when he began to kiss across my neck, nibbling at any skin that his lips passed across. All of the control slipped through the crevices of my fingers as I succumbed to the stimulation.

It wasn't long before my hips involuntarily began to move against his, creating an amazing friction between us with every shift of our muscles. Breathing increasing, a stray moan slipped from my mouth as I gripped onto him, not wanting to lose myself in the pleasure.

My grip on him tightened as I felt myself being laid onto my back. Unaware of what was happening, I held my eyes on his, unsure if he was trying to pull something on me. But my gaze only earned me a small smile in response as he lowered his body onto mine.

"You drive me crazy," he whispered into my ear. Locking our lips into a brief kiss, he held his forehead against mines, an inquisitive look in his eyes. "You're amazing."

Caught off guard by the intimate gesture, I couldn't form a legible sentence, so I stuck with a smile and a brief caress of his hair. He returned the grin, brushing my bangs away before he kissed the top of my head. He hesitated as he pulled up, eyes glancing above my line of sight. "When did you get this thing?" he asked, fingers brushing over my eyebrow piercing.

"The day I turned 18." I laughed a little. "I lost a bet, so now I have that over my eye."

"I've always liked it," he replied. Leaning down, he pressed his lips to the cold metal, a chuckle leaving his lips. "It makes you who you are... that's something precious, Dominik. Hold onto it."

I smiled again before kissing him, fingers settling onto his lower back, as I prayed this moment would not end and that he dared never to leave me alone again.

* * *

**I want to thank you all for the response that I received in lieu of my boyfriend and his current condition. ****I'm rather sad to say, though, that things have ended between us. Not on my own initiative, but on his... ****Whether or not we will get back together in the future, I don't know. I doubt it though.**

**But again, thank you all for your support. I'm still very much heartbroken and I'm not feeling the romance right now, but I wanted to pull something together for my lovely readers. I hope this wasn't too terrible, and if it was, I truly do apologize. I don't have much of a muse right now.**

**Leave me a review please? I would greatly appreciate it.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	14. Chapter 14

**How do you guys like the new cover image?**

* * *

"I'm going to school today, Dominik."

A blanket pulled up to my hips, I laid on my side as I watched Aleks roam around his room, pulling on various pieces of clothing to make an outfit. Having only woken up from a restful sleep just minutes ago, I was still a bit out of it, a yawn begging to be released from within me."Can't you stay home at least one more day?"

"I wish I could, but the _matura_ is next week and I need to finish the final preparations." He came close to the bed and leaned down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You should come back to school. If you study, you could still take it."

My eyes darted away, a flood of memories that happened inside of the school coming back to mind. "I don't know about that, Aleks."

Noticing my reaction, he sat down on the edge of the bed, hand reaching to take mine into his. "If anyone so as much makes one smart remark about you or us, I'll give them absolute hell."

"About us? What do you mean?"

He smiled before bringing my knuckles up to his lips, kissing them softly. "Check Facebook." The smile lingered as he got up, releasing his grip on me. "If you don't want to come to the morning classes, at least come to the afternoon ones. It'd only be a few hours."

I nodded, not wanting to give him a definite answer just yet. "I'll think about it." Watching as he turned to walk out the door, I felt a bit sad, knowing that I would be alone. "Wait!" I called after him. When he stopped and turned around, I continued with my thought. "I'll miss you."

He chuckled. "I'll miss you too, my prince. Call me if you need anything." Giving me a small wave, he uttered a 'Goodbye' as he made his way out of the room, closing the door behind him.

When I heard the front door open then close, I slipped the covers off from around me and swung my legs over to the edge of the bed. Pushing myself to my feet, I paused to stretch before starting a brief search through Aleksander's room for his laptop. _I'm only going to check Facebook_, I reminded myself. I couldn't and wouldn't go back to Suicide Room...even if I knew that Sylwia was there.

Eventually, I found his laptop, hid in a crafty spot underneath the bed. Climbing back underneath his covers, I settled down with his computer. "No lock screen?" I muttered to myself, pointer finger scrolling across the interface of his computer. Navigating to the Internet browser, I pulled up the home page and quickly found my way to the saved tabs, one of them being Facebook.

It immediately pulled up to his account, feed now in clear view. Sifting through the multiple statuses and pictures, I wondered what had happened that was so significant. Glancing at the notification panel, I saw that he had at least five and curiosity gaining the better over me, I clicked to see what they were for. _A game request, a comment from a status Aleks is following and a like on his...changed relationship status? _Clicking on the notification, I waited for the page to re-load as it took me to the scene of the crime.

_Aleksander Lubomirski is now in a relationship with Dominik Santorski_

Underneath the status was a picture of myself; one that I never remembered taking, let alone posting on the Internet. I cringed at the thought of what the response was below; surely, there would be more hate that outweighed any positive comments there may be. The update had at least 40 likes, which was not surprising, concerning Aleks' popularity on Facebook and in our area of Poland in general. My eyes scanned over the multiple comments that littered the screen.

* * *

_Karolina Zimme_r: _Jak jesteś z Dominik? Myślałem mięczakiem offed się dawno temu._ (How are you with Dominik? I thought the wimp offed himself a long time ago.)

_Henryk Chmielewsk_i: _Zostawić na tydzień i wrócić pedałem! Eww!_ (You leave for a week and come back a fag! Eww!)

_Michalina Jaworski_: _Spierdalaj was, Aleks jest bezpłatna na bieżąco kto chce, a Dominik jest cool i tak, więc zamknij się o nim_. (Fuck off you guys, Aleks is free to date who he wants, and Dominik is cool anyway, so shut up about him)

_Sabina Pawlak_: _Słyszałem, że zaangażował się w jakiś emo okultystycznej Internecie i próbował się zabić w barze._ (I heard that he got involved with some virtual emo occult and tried to kill himself at a bar.)

_Karolina Zimmer_: _Dominik powinien po prostu zostać w domu i podciął sobie żyły z resztą swoich żałosnych przyjaciółmi online, i przestać kurwa się nasze życie w szkole, bo nie może się zdecydować. (_Dominik should just stay home and slit his wrists with the rest of his pathetic online friends, and stop fucking up our school life because he can't decide._)_

* * *

I couldn't bear to read the rest of the conversation within the comments. Their words were full of venom, the toxicity at its most highest level as they spewed hatred towards myself and Aleks. My stomach felt tight, twisting with anger and the helplessness to defend myself. It was a feeling that I knew all too well; when Aleks was behind the computer screen, making me the butt of his torment, I was on the other side, hopeless and tied up in a sneaky mind game. It was as if communication through the Internet was a force field that protected you from those that you know and those you do not know. But what harm could you do? You couldn't reach through a screen and strangle someone. No, everything was tied up into a dangerous web of anonymity and cowardice of the insecure.

Knowing that there was no point in staying on, I exited out of the browser and put Aleks' laptop into Sleep mode. Putting it to the side, I laid back, sighing as I reveled in the feelings that raced through my body; rage then sadness before turning into defiance. _I have to put them in their place, _I told myself. _If they claimed to be my friend before all of this happened, then I am going to give them hell. _Glancing over at my bag, set on the chair by Aleks' desk, I thought about getting dressed...raising a storm and hitting the already shit-covered fan with just a little bit more – I was not going to be weak or hide from them anymore.

I thought back to what Sylwia told me around the time that we first met. I was like her... sensitive. Too sensitive at times. But I was caught in an internal conflict; should I abandon all emotions and take on a careless attitude or continue to let emotions govern my decisions?

_I wish I had her here to give me advice. _Thinking back to what happened the previous day, I smiled at the memory of sitting on the grass, feeling the breeze brush through my hair and whisper across my cheeks, as we spoke of everything that we could think of. After I kissed her, she seemed to open up some – not a lot, maybe just a crack in her cold exterior – and she began to tell me about how her life was, three years ago, before she retreated to her room. I found out nothing, but I found out a lot at the same time. That was the thing about Sylwia, though, she told you enough to pique your interest but not too much to reveal anything sensitive that you could possibly bring up to her in the future.

If Sylwia were named for one coping mechanism... it would be avoidance.

_But Sylwia would tell me that I need to go back to that school. Scare them, let them know that they don't have any control over me anymore. _Sitting up, I found a new feeling of determination begin to well up inside of me – not enough to be classified as enthusiasm, but I felt motivated...almost riled-up, so to speak.

I'm Dominik. I am eighteen-and-a-half years old. I'm alive and they hate that.

But you know what? I'm gonna send them to a place so dark that they'll wish they were in hell.

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**Thank you for the condolences that I received from my reviewers in the previous chapter. I really appreciate it, I do. ****I'm still not entirely back into the genre of love, but it's been a little easier to write as time goes on and starts to heal the gaping hole that is within my heart.**

**But I am happy to announce that I entered my first official writing contest. I entered a new piece that I wrote recently, called Always There, which is about a young boy and his mother who have to deal with his abusive father. I posted it on Fictionpress under the same pen name, if anyone might be interested in reading it. If you do decide to read it, I thank you in advance for taking time out of your day to do that.**

**Also, to fans of Second Chance who happen to frequent the site Wattpad, I decided to post all of my chapters on there as well. Though I doubt it will reach many people, since the site is overrun with bad One Direction Fanfiction and cheesy, cliche young adult romance novels.**

**Anywho... Leave me a review? I'd love, love, love to hear feedback.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	15. Chapter 15

**Fun fact: The other night, I was watching a certain part of Suicide Room for linear reasons, and I noticed that during the shower scene between Dominik and Aleksander, you can clearly see Aleks' manhood in the shot, while you see Dominik's back side. I giggled for an absurdly long time.**

**(Not for the reasons that you may think, mind you.)**

* * *

When I was younger, my parents always told me that I should never play with fire. Yet, as I walked down the street leading to the school, I felt as if I was inside an inferno, feeding the flames with a deadly mix of determination and anger.

Earphones in with my favorite Polish rock band blaring into my eardrums, I felt unstoppable – yet, vulnerable at the same time. After not being in school for the past few weeks, I wasn't sure what to expect. If I had timed things out correctly, the _matura _was only a week and a half away, so I imagined that things would be like they always are when finals came around – half of the students with a dead look in their eyes and the other half with a panicked look in their eyes – except, this time, the pressure was multiplied by a thousand.

But I wasn't afraid. Regardless of whether or not I decided to participate in the _matura_, it was the least of my worries. I had to set things straight and raise one last commotion among my peers.

The building came into view as I rounded the corner. Everything looked the same; dull, colorless and boring. Shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, I thought back to the day that I had a mental breakthrough – changing my style, taking that gun and feeling invincible. But this time, I had nothing masking my disposition; no eyeliner, no nail polish... It was just me, torn down by self-destruction but slowly being built up by a reappearance of conviction.

_12:00PM_

Right about now, the bell was ringing and the throngs of students were about to spill out from the classrooms and into the hallways. Was it the most opportune time to show up, in plain sight of everyone? Maybe. But I didn't care anymore.

Approaching the entrance into the school, I found myself in the hallway that I once loved, but now dreaded. The last time that I stepped out of the school, I held a gun in my pocket. But now, I only held my fingers, cinched together in a tense grip. Looking around, I saw a few people at their lockers, unaware of my presence, but the hallway was otherwise deserted. _Everyone must be in the lunch room, _I thought. _Was this how my arrival would unfold?_

Stood in front of the doors that opened up to the lunch room, I reached inside the pocket of my jeans and fiddled around with my MP3 player, turning my music down to a low setting. I didn't plan on talking to anyone, let alone listening to them, but I wanted everything to be clear and complete in my observance of their reaction. Taking a deep sigh and bowing my head, I hoped to God that I was doing the right thing as I shoved open the doors to my insanity.

A crowded, earsplitting room filled with people of all sorts of thoughts and personalities came to a complete hush at the indication of my arrival. Widened eyes and a scatter of agape mouths said more than their words ever could.

"What?" I took a few steps forward, challenging the situation. "Thought I was dead? Cat got your tongue? All of you talk so much shit online, yet you have nothing to say to my face?!" Shaking my head, I took the brief pause in speech to scan the tables for any sign of Aleksander. When I couldn't find him, I decided to keep talking. "How can you dare to call yourself human when you torture and wish death upon another person? You're all pathetic."

"At least we're not a flaming homo like you!" A voice pierced through the silence, and a few laughs rippled through the kids. Eyes narrowing, I singled out the person speaking to be the one who I once thought to be my friend, Karolina.

A skeptical laugh left my lips. "Funny that you say that, Karolina, because I recall that you were the one creaming your pants over Aleks and I kissing at the ___studniówka__." _Watching her look down, a look of embarrassment on her face, I knew that I had proved my point. My attention diverted when I noticed someone coming up to me, and looking over, it was Aleksander.

"Aleks," I said.

He looked at me and smiled, before turning his attention to the lunch room. "I, out of all people, should know that what we did to Dominik was terribly, unforgivably wrong," he called out. "Call it ignorance. Call it spite. Call it whatever the hell you want, but just know that I like Dominik a lot and that is not going to change, whether you choose to accept it or not. I don't judge who you choose to spend your time with, so why should you? Leave him alone...or you'll regret it."

I felt myself being tugged along to the doors by Aleksander, but not before another outburst ripped through my ears.

"Little faggots!"

I stopped in my tracks, jerking Aleks to a halt. Gritting my teeth, I swallowed down the anger that began to boil inside me and turned around, facing everyone again. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, that's what you are!" I determined the speaker to be a teenage girl, one that I recognized to hang around in Karolina's posse of friends. "It's disgusting."

A chuckle escaped from my lips before I could stop it, the anger inside me turning into one of amusement from the sheer ignorance of my peers. "I may be a faggot, but I'll get more dick than you will in your entire lifetime."

Grabbing onto Aleks again, I stalked towards the doors, not stopping to look as I heard the lunch room go into an uproar over my words. But I didn't mind what they said or did from this point on; I had made my point and I was satisfied.

When we came into the hallways, Aleks took me into a tight hug before placing a kiss onto my lips. "You did it, Dominik."

"I didn't do anything," I said, my voice coming out breathlessly, all the courage and bluntness drained from me. "I just set things straight is all. They'll still bother me, I know they will."

"Who cares? They may say something but they know that you aren't weak. That's the difference." Placing a hand onto my neck, he tilted my head up so that I would look at him. "It's only a week, Dominik. Then we are out of here for good."

"Thanks for the optimism, but..." I looked away, unable to face his eyes. "I don't think the torture will end once we graduate."

* * *

**Did you enjoy Dominik's glimmer of humor? I enjoyed his occasional moments of dry wit in the movie.**

**Anyway, I hope all of my readers are doing great. I started going to a therapist recently and I was officially diagnosed with depression. Fun right? I might start on anti-depressants soon, depending on what this psychiatrist I am supposed to be seeing says. Quite ironic considering the story, huh?**

**I have a treat for you all in the next chapter. I'm not giving away any details, but prepare for something that I have been DYING to write. ;)**

**Leave me a review? I wanna hear your thoughts. On that note, thank you so much for all the follows, favorites and reviews!**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


	16. Chapter 16

**Warning to all: This chapter has a sexual scene in it. (But it's all done in good taste, don't worry)**

**I am not going to raise the rating on this, because as I mentioned in an earlier chapter, if you have seen the movie Suicide Room, then most likely you could handle something like this in a chapter, which isn't overly explicit or vulgar at all.**

* * *

"Can you believe the look that Karolina had on her face when we were in class? She couldn't even look me in the eye."

Sat in the backseat of Aleksander's car, I had my head leaned on Aleks' shoulder as his driver took us back to what I presumed to be his house. His hand in my hair, I listened to him talk about the day we had. "She's just a scared little girl. I wouldn't worry about her too much," I replied.

"Maybe so." Wrapping his fingers around my chin, he leaned my head up so that I looked in his eyes. "Dominik?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," he said. Thumbing a piece of hair from behind my ear, he smiled.

A wave of affection washed over me. Smiling back, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. "I love you too, Aleks."

Closing in the distance between us, he pressed his lips to mine. "I'm glad."

Leaning my head back onto his shoulder, I couldn't figure out what to think, let alone what to say next. So I took his hand and encircled our fingers together. Everything felt...right, for once. I closed my eyes and let myself relax, listening to the sound of the tires on the road and the echo of Aleks' heartbeat. It seemed like only a minute had gone by before the car began to slow down to a stop.

"We're here," I heard the driver say.

Straightening up, I stifled a yawn as I reached over to unbuckle my seat belt. "What are we going to do for the rest of the night?" I asked as I climbed out of the car.

"Mm, whatever you'd like, my prince." I watched as he climbed out after me. "We can order out, I can cook, we can watch movies, or we can just cuddle and talk. It's up to you."

All of them sounded enticing at the moment. Yet, I knew that there was an unsolved tension between us. I was shy, I was hesitant but... I wanted to be with Aleks.

"Let's hang out in your room," I suggested. And as we took the walk to his room, hand in hand, the feeling of vulnerability came back again. I hadn't felt it this strongly before, even the night when we stripped away all clothing and climbed in the tub together.

When we neared the bed, Aleks sat me down on the edge, taking a seat next to me. "Where are your parents at?" I asked.

"The same place they were last night," he answered. "Out of town." Noticing the look on my face, he laid a hand on my shoulder. "No one is going to be here except the maid, and that's not until later on."

I nodded, feeling a little better about the situation. Looking into his eyes, I wasn't sure what to do next as I felt his hand slip around my neck, caressing the skin there.

"Dominik," Aleks murmured. "Can I touch you? I'm not trying to imply anything, I just love your skin."

I nodded, biting my lip a little as I felt nervousness take over. "Yes, I don't mind."

He placed his hand on the zipper pull of my hoodie. "Let me know if I am going too fast or if you want me to stop."

Letting out a soft breath, one that only I could hear, I cooperated as the jacket was opened and slipped off from around my arms. The cold air of Aleks' room hit my skin and sent a chill down my body.

Aleks must have felt it, for he stopped and looked at me. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." And as I gave him a small smile, I knew it wasn't a total lie. Heart racing, the next thing I knew, Aleks' lips were on mine, moving insistently, as I felt fingers brush under my shirt and across my hipbones. Reaching up, I decided to do something with my hands, tangling my fingers in his hair.

Pulling away from my lips, he tugged my shirt up and off, laying it elsewhere on the bed. All thoughts in my head turned to an incoherent mess when I felt Aleks' hands run across the expanse of my chest, caressing the ridges of my distinct ribcage before traveling to my lower back, as if he was cradling me.

Lips were pressed to my neck and I couldn't help the soft noise that left my lips, a warm feeling rushing through my body. Reveling in the sensation of Aleks' hair brushing against my skin and his kisses trailing down my neck and across my collarbone, I closed my eyes and placed my hand on his shoulder. When I felt myself being leaned onto my back, my eyes snapped open as the feeling of vulnerability returned. But looking into Aleks' eyes, I knew that it was okay... I was safe.

Watching as he pulled his shirt off, I admired the curve of his abdomen and the way that his arms were toned... must have been from all of those afternoons in Judo class. But that faded from my mind when the weight on the bed shifted, Aleks climbing on top of me and connecting our lips in another kiss. As his tongue gently swiped across my own, I allowed my hands to wander up and down his body, memorizing the surface of his skin. Daring to be bold, I touched lower – to more intimate places and when I knew that he was just as excited as I was, it made me happy. It made me feel...beautiful.

"My sweet prince."

His words were murmured against a heaving chest as he moved down my body, kissing whatever skin he could find. The way that he unbuttoned my jeans with one hand while managing to lightly stroke my nipples left me amazed...breathless. I felt so inexperienced compared to him, but it was a bittersweet feeling. I felt like as if he was cherishing and nurturing every inch of my body.

Left in nothing but my boxers, our eyes connected again as Aleks took to stroking me through the fabric. Eyes squeezed shut, my breath came out in a harsh huff, just as I had remembered it to be that one day. But this time, I didn't struggle against him.. I wanted it. Yet, the tension was still there.

I knew what was going to happen next as Aleks leaned down and his breath dragged across my clothed erection. I wasn't sure whether to be afraid or happy as I watched him drag my underwear off, revealing my member that stood to attention against my stomach. Looking up at me, he smiled before he bent his head down again and wrapped much more than just his hand around me.

The next few minutes blended together; I didn't know anything except the unique texture of Aleks' tongue, the heat of his mouth and the gentle suction on sensitive spots that I never knew I had. My eyes opened to watch what was happening, then closed to focus on the stimulation; over and over, it was a vicious cycle. But as I felt a ball of tension coil in my hips, I found it harder to keep my eyes open.

Focus temporarily leaving from the pleasure that coursed through my veins, I paid attention to every noise that was around me; the squeak of the bed when Aleks occasionally shifted around, the sound of his breathing, the soft hum of the ceiling fan... The last thing I heard was something I hadn't heard, a barely audible sucking noise as I felt him shift his lips to concentrate mainly on the tip. And that's when it hit me all of a sudden – I wasn't sure if it was the noise or the sucking itself, but I found myself grasping onto Aleks' hair, panting harder and harder, as every nerve in my body lit on fire.

The next few seconds were blank as my mind tried to recover, body now relaxed. Reaching up, I wiped my brow with the back of my hand and noticed that my hair and face were now sticky with sweat. Feeling of euphoria now faded away, it was replaced with a realization of what had just happened, a barrage of emotions rushing through me.

_Did Aleks really just give me oral sex? _Glancing at his face and the lack of "evidence" on it, a feeling of worry overtook me. _And did I really...come in his mouth?_

He broke the silence. "I would ask you if you enjoyed that, but I think the answer is pretty apparent." Laughing, he crawled up so that his face was level with mines. "You don't taste half bad either."

A nervous chuckle fell from my lips. "Uh...thanks." Looking into his eyes, I gave him a small smile. "Do you want me to do the same...you know, to you?"

"It'd be amazing," he replied. "But there's no rush. We have all the time in the world, right?"

"Yeah." Leaning over, I gave him a kiss. "I love you, Aleks." Those three words felt unusual, as if they held a burn to them that healed more than they could ever possibly hurt.

Maybe vulnerability wasn't such a bad thing. But the idea of loving someone was extremely scary...

* * *

**See, I told you guys that I had a treat for you. :)**

**On that note.. 104 reviews.. my gosh.. ****You are all so lovely! I remember when I published the first chapter of Second Chance on here and I thought 'No one is going to read this story.' Now here we are, 100+ reviews later. It's so amazing and I thank you from the bottom of all my hearts.**

**Also, I want to give a great shout of thanks to all of those who sent me their cheers and best wishes on the last chapter. I greatly appreciate that and it really brightens my day to read your feedback and hear that you all like this little 'ol story. So again, thank you so much!**

**Leave me a review? I'm dying to know what everyone thought of all the 'I love you's' and DomAlex loveliness.**

**-theuntoldstories-ofadreamer**


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